MELBOURNE (AFP) - Roger Federer ground out a tough three-set win to make the Australian Open third round for an incredible 20th straight year on Wednesday (Jan 16) and stay on track for a seventh title, with fellow defending champion Caroline Wozniacki also safely through.

But it was curtains for South African fifth seed Kevin Anderson, who slumped out to young American Frances Tiafoe.

On an overcast day at Melbourne Park, former US Open champion and fifth-seeded Sloane Stephens joined the big guns in progressing, but the women's side also saw a top-10 player crash.

Ninth seed Kiki Bertens, who raced through the rankings last year after winning three titles, was whipped in three sets by Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Federer might be 37 but he is not showing his age, with British qualifier Dan Evans the latest to fall under his spell as he works towards a third successive Australian crown and 21st Grand Slam title.

He defeated Evans at Wimbledon last year with the loss of just eight games, but it was a much harder assignment this time, winning 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.

"I think if I could have pulled away earlier in the match it might have been easier," said the third seed. "I think he played very well, it was hard to pull away to his credit."

The Swiss legend's Australian achievements so far put him on a par with other six-time winners Novak Djokovic and Roy Emerson - although the Australian great's victories all came before the Open era.

He next plays American Taylor Fritz, who beat France's Gael Monfils.

If he goes on to win the tournament, he will become the first man to claim seven or more titles at two Grand Slams, having already won eight Wimbledons.

The Spaniard is bidding for his own slice of history by becoming the first man in the Open era, and only the third in history along with Emerson and Rod Laver, to win each Grand Slam on two or more occasions.

Anderson, beaten by Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final last year, was sent packing by Tiafoe 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

The fifth seed struggled with an elbow injury early in the clash and could not cope with the 20-year-old power and finesse.

World No. 39 Tiafoe, who equalled his best Grand Slam result, next plays veteran Italian Andreas Seppi and said he was ecstatic.

"It's all about competing, how bad you want it and I want it real bad," he said, fresh from playing the mixed-team Hopman Cup in Perth with Serena Williams.

Sixth seed Marin Cilic, who lost in the final to Federer last year, had no such dramas, grinding past American Mackenzie McDonald in four sets.

Another young gun, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, also stayed alive, overcoming a tricky test against Serbian Viktor Troicki in four sets.

Collision course

Dane Wozniacki, who is battling rheumatoid arthritis, steamrolled past Sweden's Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-3 as she bids to become the first woman to retain the title since Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

It set up a clash with Maria Sharapova, who beat Swede Rebecca Peterson late at night.

"I thought I started pretty well, started aggressively, but she started making less errors and I was just trying to stay consistent," Wozniacki said.

Meanwhile, Stephens, who endured a horror run at Melbourne Park since reaching the semi-finals in 2013, exiting in the first round in 2015, 2016 and 2018, swatted aside former doubles partner Timea Babos 6-3, 6-1.

It kept her on a collision course with world No. 2 Angelique Kerber in the quarter-finals.

The Straits Times

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